Free Lost and Found by Elle Casey Page B

a person just because my hair isn’t gelled into a hard candy shell around my skull.
    “Follow me,” he says, nodding to David the security guard who leaves us alone. I really want to give him the finger, but I resist. He might taze me. I’m pretty sure I won’t like being tazed.
    We walk through a black door and down a hallway I wouldn’t have imagined existed. Joshua opens a door, and after allowing me to enter, sits at a desk. There’s a small black safe on the floor in the corner behind him. I take the seat across from him.
    “So. You have a ring.” He laces his fingers together and places them on the desktop. His shoulder pads inside his jacket rise up around his ears.
    “Yes.” I reach into my bra and bring out the wad of tissues. It takes a little work to get the ring uncovered since everything is kind of sweaty. When it’s finally free, I hold it out between us. There are several bits of paper-lint hanging from it. I try to act like it’s not ridiculous.
    Joshua blinks a few times. He’s back to being a robot for a few seconds before reaching over and grabbing a velvet tray and sliding it over to stop in front of me.
    I put the ring on top of it.
    He pulls the velvet tray over to himself and then pulls a loupe out of a desk drawer. He uses a set of tweezers to pick up the ring and turn it around as he examines it.
    “I could be wrong about this … but I believe I recognize it from something that was sold about four days ago.” He looks up at me. “Does that sound about right?”
    I nod. “Sure.” He could have said eight years ago and I would have agreed. “I know it was sold here. I had someone look up the laser code or whatever.”
    Joshua is back to looking at it again. “Every diamond has a unique pattern of inclusions and color that make it identifiable, but the etching makes it easier, for sure.” He puts the ring and the loupe down, detaching the tweezers last. “If you hold on a moment, I’ll jump on the computer and see what I can find out.”
    I shrug. “Sure.”
    He gets up and leaves the room. I’m left sitting there, staring at the walls. There are framed prints of jewels tastefully selected and hung, one on each wall.
    It takes him so long to get back, I start to get nervous. After several minutes, I pick up the ring, wrap it up in my tissues, and shove it back in my bra. After another five minutes, I stand and try and work up the nerve to open the door.
    When I finally do, I find David standing in the hallway next to me.
    He looks down at me and frowns.
    “What are you doing here?” I ask. “Are you trying to keep me in here against my will?” My nerves start to frazzle. Time to plan my prison break-out.
    His hands never leave the crossed position at his waist. “No, I’m here to protect you. You have a valuable piece of jewelry on you and we’re liable for its safety while you’re in the building.”
    “Oh.” I feel kind of stupid thinking that someone at Cartier would try to keep me prisoner. “Well, I have to go. Maybe you can tell your friend thanks for me.”
    He stares at me, saying nothing.
    “I can’t wait for him anymore. I have to go.”
    “He’s not back yet. He’s getting information for you.”
    “Yeah, well, I have other things I have to do today, so I can’t wait around forever.” This is a lie. I have nothing else planned, but staying here is making my armpits itch too much. Just thinking of it makes me need to scratch again.
    The door at the end of the hall opens up and Joshua comes through it. “Sorry it took me so long,” he says, sounding a little off. “Someone was on the computer before me and I had to wait.” His fingers go up and flick his neck, like he’s itchy there. It makes my armpits feel like they’re on fire. I rub my arms against my ribs trying to ease the sensation.
    “No big deal,” I say, pretending like I wasn’t just all freaked out over nothing. “What did you find out?”
    He stops in front of me, his face kind